Author:focus-on-transport
FAW has added its first and only independent sales and service dealer to the Mozambique market; Choice Diesel Mozambique. Wayne Greenwood, MD of Choice Diesel Mozambique, says the truck market in Mozambique has matured: “It has moved away from used left-hand drive American vehicles to new, equally durable, right-hand drive trucks.” Choice Diesel therefore set out to find a suitable partner. “We did our homework and looked globally at how best to source quality, affordable trucks for southern Africa. We […]
Rumour has it that Jeep is on the verge of launching … a bakkie! The new Jeep Gladiator is said to be revealed at the LA Auto Show on November 28, and images were leaked earlier this week. The 2020 Jeep Gladiator will be based on the venerable Wrangler platform (a new Wrangler was launched earlier this year and will land in South Africa during 2019). Jeepgladiatorforum.com reports that the pictures and information were leaked through the Fiat Chrysler Association’s […]
FOCUS Issue 11 2018 is available to view as an Ebook or to download in pdf format. Click here to download in pdf format.
Here’s an idea for a prospective doctoral thesis The latest twist in the saga at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) is that during the most recent 12-month financial period, annual passenger levels have fallen from 448 to 370 million (my guess is that it will now be even lower at 340 million), while the subsidy is now over R5 billion. This means that every day since 2016, 320 more people have switched from electrically powered (rail) to […]
Tata Motors celebrated its 21st anniversary in South Africa this year and, in that time, the brand has grown and evolved to offer a vehicle solution for every customer’s needs. GAVIN MYERS finds out what ’s next for the brand. When Tata Motors started operations in South Africa with Tata Automobile Corporation South Africa during 1997, it offered customers just a couple of models. However, the brand carefully established its operations and steadily increased its rate of business. “It was a […]
When will the delays, corruption and looting at African borders be dealt with? Not in our lifetime, probably… Not a month goes by without some report of delays, inefficiency or corruption at one or more borders in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The latest culprit is Kasumbalesa, the border between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). I was alerted to the situation on October 17 by Mike Fitzmaurice, CEO of the Federation of East and Southern […]
The extra-heavy commercial vehicle (EHCV) segment is the backbone of the South African trucking industry. Gareth Greathead explores the dynamics of the segment According to the latest results released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (Naamsa), Associated Motor Holdings (AMH) and Amalgamated Automobile Distributors (AAD), by the end of September this year a total of 19 939 new trucks and buses had been retailed. Despite tough economic conditions, the overall sales in the South African commercial […]
Tough economic conditions, combined with the potential to save as much as 50 percent on the sale price of a new vehicle, means that sales of used trucks are booming. FOCUS investigates whether it’s worth buying out of warranty, and what to expect and inspect. Just as in the automobile sector, trucks are sometimes sold privately, or through smaller independent dealerships. One reason for this is that a seller is sometimes able to get a better price from a smaller […]
Is expensive better, or cheap cheerful? When it comes to tyres, you have to be wary of your upfront costs to save down the road As is often the case when revenue is down and budgets are cut, more weight is given to the here and now, instead of thinking about the long term. Save a little now, worry about the rest later… In transport, the three little letters of cost per kilometre (CPK) can be so easy to ignore […]
While the launch of the new Mercedes-Benz Actros and a concept van attracted the attention of international visitors at the IAA, it was the display of a South African Actros and the presence of the South African Mercedes-Benz management team that caught CHARLEEN CLARKE´s eye. As is always the case at the IAA, Mercedes-Benz stunned visitors with a huge display of world-class vehicles. This year, the new Mercedes-Benz Actros (with its fancy cameras instead of mirrors) and an incredible concept […]
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